


A Wish from ThunderClan

by FallaffatheLlamaQueen



Series: Dreams of the Clans [1]
Category: Warriors - Erin Hunter
Genre: Betrayal, BloodClan (Warriors), Cats, Dark Forest (Warriors), Dreams, Gen, Medicinecats, Prophecy, RiverClan (Warriors), ShadowClan (Warriors), SkyClan (Warriors), StarClan (Warriors), ThunderClan (Warriors), WindClan (Warriors), place of no stars
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-31
Updated: 2017-04-10
Packaged: 2018-10-13 08:41:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,836
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10510248
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FallaffatheLlamaQueen/pseuds/FallaffatheLlamaQueen
Summary: Wind. Thunder. River. Shadow. Blood. Sky. Generations ago, Firestar, one of the great leaders of Thunderclan, saved the clans from destruction time after time. However, many see his efforts as for nothing, as the six clans have been displaced many times since, shunted around while the cats try to escape from the ever growing threat of the Twolegs. When they finally seem to find a home free from the Twolegs and safe to stay in peace, they soon realize that it might not be all it seems to be. Now, a new prophecy from Starclan has been revealed by the medicinecats and a new threat has arrived in the form of the dreameaters, creatures who come in the night to invade the dreams of cats, leaving them to wake up with wounds that weren't there when they fell asleep. When cats suddenly begin to die in their sleep from these dream injuries, all six clans must band together to fight an enemy that might not even truly be real. Can the supposed subjects of the prophecy, six cats who bear the names of their clans, put aside their differences to save the cats they call their families?





	1. Allegiances

**Thunderclan**

Leader: Rabbitstar- grey tom with a bit of a bluish hue and blue eyes,  Apprentice: Thunderpaw

Deputy: Brackenclaw- grey tabby she-cat with white paws and tail tip and blue eyes

 

Medicine Cat: Eagleeyes- petite tortoiseshell tom with a rather feminine demeanour and very light amber eyes

Medicinecat Apprentice: Hailpaw- light grey tom with yellow eyes

 

Warriors: 

Swiftclaw- rather large black tom with very short fur and yellow eyes,  Apprentice: Greypaw

Firestorm- white, long furred she-cat with ginger spots 

Willowsong- black she-cat with white underbelly and a black spot her chest,  Apprentice: Echopaw 

Oaktail- solid brown she-cat with amber eyes

Nettlefire- brown and white she-cat with point coloration 

Mossycreek- flame red tom with bright green eyes,  Apprentice: Blizzardpaw 

Speckleap- lilac tom with blue eyes 

Frostswirl- ginger tabby she-cat with blue eyes 

Rubblepond- cream colored tom with slightly darker circles around his eyes,  Apprentice: Molepaw 

Mothswirl- tuxedo patterned tom

Palecreek- calico she-cat with a very fluffy tail

 

Apprentices:

Thunderpaw- light golden brown tabby tom with a white underbelly and greenish yellow eyes

Greypaw- very dark grey she-cat with green eyes, lighter grey spots and an almost white tail

Echopaw- White tom with a brown stripe along his back and blue eyes

Blizzardpaw- pure white, long furred tom and yellow eyes

Molepaw- very light ginger she-cat that fades to white at extremities 

 

Queens: 

Robinleap- Cinnamon tabby she-cat with longish fur, white markings and amber eyes

{Bearkit-chocolate colored tom with white paws and tail tip and amber eyes

Whisperkit- brown tom with lighter cinnamon patches and amber eyes}

Mosshawk- black and white patched she-cat with yellow eyes

{Tigerkit\- light brown and chocolate lynx point she-cat with yellow eyes

Mousekit- white tom with very faint tabby markings, a black tail tip and yellow eyes

Ravenkit- grey tabby tom with white paws and yellow eyes}

Gooserunner- Fawn colored she-cat with white dapples and green eyes

{Berrykit- light brown tom with white dapples and blue eyes}

Eagleshade- Flame point she cat with a red stripe going along her tail and blue eyes

{Shortkit- ginger tabby with a shorter than average tail and yellow eyes}

 

Elders:

Tinyshade- bluish grey she-cat with white extremities and blue eyes 

Beechclaw- white tom with slightly darker patches and yellow eyes

Iceskip- white she-cat with black dapples and green eyes 

Rushbreeze- black she-cat with yellow eyes

 

**Windclan**

Leader: Icestar- Pure white tom with permanent grass stains in his fur and yellow eyes

 

Deputy: Weedbelly- grey and brown she-cat with bright blue eyes

 

Medicinecat: Bouldertuft- pale silvery tom with bright amber eyes

Medicinecat Apprentice: Windpaw \- orange and white she-cat with blue eyes

 

Warriors: 

Tallpool- black and white she-cat with yellow eyes.

Ashpad- lean, lithe, sleek, dark grey tom with round, brilliant amber eyes and broad shoulders,  Apprentice:  Harepaw 

Dapplesplash- small grey and white she-cat with blue eyes,  Apprentice:  Heatherpaw

Vinetalon- brown tom with patchy fur

Rippleleap- long-legged pale blue-grey tom with battle-scarred ears, one of which is shredded,  Apprentice:  Jaypaw 

Gorsecloud- dark brown tabby tom

Fernstripe- compact white she-cat with clear, dark green eyes,  Apprentice:  Mossypaw 

Pikespring- broad-shouldered brown tabby tom with torn ears that are nicked at the top

Cedarshimmer- stocky light brown tom with ginger legs and a darker tail-tip and ears

Talonflame- light tortoiseshell and white she-cat with amber eyes

Frostflower- very dark ginger tabby tom with amber eyes

 

Apprentices: 

Harepaw- tortoiseshell she-cat with dark amber eyes

Heatherpaw- lean black tom with amber eyes

Jaypaw- grey she-cat with amber eyes

Mossypaw- small dark brown tom with amber eyes and a narrow muzzle

 

Queens:

Cinderclaw- smokey grey she-cat with silver blue eyes and grey toes

{Applekit- light cinnamon brown tom with darker flecks and amber eyes

Lightningkit- grey tom with white underbelly and chest fur, the white streaks down around his foreleg to his paw}

Brightstreak- white and grey tabby she with yellow green eyes

{Stormkit- cloudy grey tom with a black teardrop patch on forehead and blue eyes

Ratkit- grey tabby tom with a mohawk stripe on his spine and yellow eyes}

Stormblaze- grey tabby she with a fluffy tail, amber eyes and white tailtip

{Freezekit \- silvery white she-cat with pale blue eyes

Leafkit- mousy brown she-kit with darker flecks and green eyes}

 

Elders:

Buzzardspots- black tom with furless patches due to excessive scarring, brown eyes

Pouncebird- dilute tortoiseshell she-cat with amber eyes and white paws

Tumblefur- tortoiseshell she-cat with wise blue eyes

Briarwhisker- spotted brown tom with irregular whiskers and hazel eyes

 

**RiverClan**

Leader: Crowstar - Slick black she-cat with dark blue eyes and grey toes.

 

Deputy: Sunshimmer - golden yellow tom with ginger tabby stripes, deep amber eyes.

 

Medicinecat: Blackscar - black tom with a long scar from his left ear to his chest, yellow eyes and a white tailtip with white specks on his right forepaw

 

Warriors:

Sandcloud- tan she-cat with darker flecks and yellow-green eyes.

Swiftriver- Russian blue tom with silver eyes

Marshmeadow- older calico she-warrior with green eyes,  Apprentice:  Whitepaw 

Shadetooth- smoky black tom with amber eyes and a grey muzzle

Ashpelt- smoky grey tom with blue-grey eyes and darker flecks

Spiderflood- black she with bright yellow-green eyes and curly fur,  Apprentice:  Nightpaw 

Pinehaze- brown tom with black paws and tailtip, dark green eyes

Larkowl- white she with big yellow eyes ad long whiskers

Dappleblossom- tannish grey she-cat with brown dapples and cobalt eyes,  Apprentice:  Petalpaw 

Leopardwing- golden yellow she-cat with black spots

Silentflame- light ginger tabby tom with a cream chest and underbelly that stripe up from under the abdomen and grey eyes,  Apprentice: Emberpaw

Owlmoon- creamy white she-cat with big blue eyes,  Apprentice: Stagpaw

Stoneheart- grey tabby tom with blue eyes

Goldenclaw- Re ddish gold tom with bright red stripes shaped like claws

 

Apprentices: 

Whitepaw- black tom with a white shard on his chest and yellow-green eyes

Nightpaw- darker blue she with grey specks and yellow eyes

Petalpaw- silvery grey tabby she-cat with yellow eyes

Emberpaw- pale golden tabby she-cat with amber eyes that look like embers in the sunlight

Stagpaw- silver tabby she-cat with dazzling green eyes

 

Queens:

Greensun- yellow tabby she with bright green eyes

{Quickkit- silver tom with green eyes

Goldenkit- golden yellow tom with amber eyes}

Cloudfur- cloudy white she-cat with silvery grey eyes

{Mistkit- Cloudy grey she-cat with icy blue eyes and lots of fluff, mostly around her tail and face

Pebblekit- grey tom with darker spots

Rainkit- dark grey she-cat with light flecks and a teardrop shaped spot on her chest}

Squirreltail- sandy yellow she-cat with green eyes and a very fluffy tail

{Lionkit- Gold en red tom with reddish tabby stripes and pale green eyes

Sunkit- Sandy yellow she-cat with bright yellow eyes

Thistlekit- Sandy yellow she with ginger tabby stripes and amber eyes}

Snowtail- creamy yellow she-cat with amber eyes and a white tail

{Ninekit- creamy yellow she with amber eyes

Otterkit- brown tom with amber eyes

Beekit- yellow tabby tom with brown stripes and amber eyes

Adderkit- creamy yellow she with a patchy brown stripe down her back to her tail, amber eyes}

 

Elders:

Creekheart- silvery blue tom with cobalt eyes and a white patch on his chest and wavy fur

Lilywhisker- sandy yellow she-cat with long whiskers and brown flecks, grey-blue eyes.

 

**Shadowclan**

Leader: Featherstar- light brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes and a greying muzzle

 

Deputy: Meadownight- light brown tom with blue eyes

 

Medicinecat: Moonscar- black and dark brown tom with bright eyes and a huge scar that cuts his face in half

Medicinecat Apprentice: Thistlepaw- white she-cat with patches that look like shadows along her sides

 

Warriors:

Weaselbreeze- short furred, white she-cat with yellow splotches,  Apprentice: Lionpaw 

Ravencall- grey tabby she-cat with blue eyes and a very slight permanent limp

Lizardstep- light brown tabby she-cat with a distinctive white chest and paws,  Apprentice: Littlepaw

Dawncreek- tortoiseshell she-cat with pale leaf green eyes and a dull, ragged pelt

Stoneslip- golden tabby tom with a white chest and belly and green eyes,  Apprentice: Halfpaw 

Softspeck- pale ginger she-cat with dull green eyes,  Apprentice: Ivypaw

Deerspots- gingery brown tom with white spots and underbelly, brown eyes.

Birchblossom- white she-cat with amber eyes and brown and black flecks,  Apprentice:  Beaverpaw

Grassstream- silver tabby she with green eyes and thinner stripes than most tabbies (more like a tiger or zebra almost),  Apprentice:  Buzzardpaw

Witheredstorm- dark grey tabby tom with dark blue eyes and many scars

Barkpatch- tortoiseshell she with green eyes

Robinflight- grey cat with amber eyes and a fluffy tail

 

Apprentices:

Lionpaw- orange tom with amber eyes and a very thick ruff of fur around his face and neck

Halfpaw- White tom with yellow eyes and brown spots

Ivypaw- very dark grey tom with black stripes on his shouders and sides and yellow eyes

Beaverpaw- dark brown tom with thick fur and amber eyes

Buzzardpaw- dark grey tom with amber eyes

Littlepaw- golden tom with brownish red tabby stripes, a brown tail tip, brown paws and bright green eyes

 

Queens:

Ebonyfur- black she-cat with blue eyes

{Brookkit- black tom with a brown tinge to his fur and blue eyes}

Pinepuddle- brown she-cat with silvery grey paws and tailtip, dark green eyes

{Squirrelkit- silvery grey she-cat with brown paws and dark green eyes}

Lakeears- grey she-cat with silver ears and amber eyes

{Wolfkit- Grey tabby she-cat with amber eyes

Breezekit- Grey tabby tom with a silver stripe on his back and green eyes

Cedarkit- Grey tabby tom with a silver stripe on his back and green eyes}

Toadpelt- patchy brown she-cat with amber eyes

{Stumpykit- light brown tom with green eyes and a vertical white stripe on his forehead

Twistedkit- light brown tom with green eyes and a white stripe on the underside of his tail}

 

Elders:

Mossyleaf- tortoiseshell she with green eyes

Slateshade- bluish grey tom with dark grey eyes

Cherrywish- reddish she-cat with cream underbelly and chest, green eyes

Hawkstreak- brown flecked tom with amber eyes and a lighter tan underbelly

 

**Skyclan**

Leader: Shadestar- large, ginger tom with wide, pale green, unseeing eyes and a small scar on his cheek

 

Deputy: Mistybird- tortoiseshell and white she-cat with blue eyes,  Apprentice: Sandpaw

 

Medicinecat: Kestrelswirl- brown tabby tom with blue eyes and many scars, he is unable to retract his claws

Medicinecat Apprentice: Willowstem-  fiery red she-cat with yellow eyes and dark red stripes on her tail

 

Warriors: 

Mudback- white she-cat with blue eyes and brown streaks on her back

Foxtail- mostly black and white she-cat with yellow eyes and a red tail

Quailtalon- little brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes,  Apprentice:  Dustpaw 

Seedfish- pale brown tabby tom with amber eyes and a white muzzle,  Apprentice:  Nightpaw 

Blizzardeyes- dark ginger tabby tom with amber eyes

Flamedusk- dark grey tabby tom with black stripes and yellow eyes,  Apprentice:  Snowpaw 

Frogstrike- heavy, snow white tom with blue eyes

Stoneflower- long legged, dark grey and white she-cat

Brambleriver- light brown she-cat with green eyes

Boulderfeather- brown tabby she-cat

Cypressbrook- small pale ginger tabby tom with yellow eyes,  Apprentice: Lightningpaw

Thawwing- tawny colored she-cat with bright blue eyes and a dark tail and ears

Dovewater- grey and white tom with brown paws

 

Apprentices:

Sandpaw- brown and ginger tom with bright yellow eyes

Dustpaw- huge, mud colored tabby tom with orange eyes

Nightpaw- mottled black she-cat with green eyes

Snowpaw- deaf white tom with blue eyes

Lightningpaw \- grey tom with yellow eyes and a huge chunk torn out of one of his ears

 

Queens:

Rocktalon- grey and white she-cat with strangely folded ears, formerly a kittypet

{Runningkit- Grey tom with strangely folded ears

Lakekit- blue-grey she-cat with blue eyes and strangely folded ears}

Whisperflight- grey she-cat with warm yellow eyes

{Toadkit- pure white tom with yellow eyes

Slatekit- light grey she-cat with blue eyes

Briarkit- dark grey tom with green eyes

Eaglekit- black she-cat with orangey eyes}

Redbreeze- Silver grey she-cat with black spots on her belly

{Maplekit- pale silver tabby tom with dark stripes and amber eyes}

 

Elders:

Brightshade- black and white she-cat with a grizzled, greying muzzle

Ivyflurry- pale brown and cream tabby tom with amber eyes

Bluespeck- light brown tom with soft fur and  piercing blue eyes

Deerfleck- stone grey she-cat with flecks of dark brown fur

 

**Bloodclan**

Leader: Silentstar- small white she-cat with pale blue eyes

 

Others:

Amber- creamy white tom with yellow eyes

Harry- brownish red tom with strangely shaped spots 

Song- grey and white she-cat with black around her claw sheaths 

Raze- flame point tom with pale eyes

Rat- skinny, speckled brown tom with a missing eye and a white muzzle

Robin- long furred, white she-cat with grey tipped fur

Liz- cinnamon she-cat with dark yellow eyes

Storm- light brown tabby she-cat with a pinkish orange tail and amber eyes. 

Nightfrost- Dark grey tom with a lighter grey underbelly and white frosted fur, formerly a member of WindClan

Dawn- small, light ginger tabby tom with black patches and yellow eyes

Barley- grey tabby tom with amber eyes

Dust- dark ginger tom with amber eyes, short fur and a white-tipped tail

Raven- black she-cat with white tuxedo markings and yellow eyes

Wildflower- thick furred, orange and grey she-cat 

Iris- white she-cat with black splotches and amber eyes 

Bloodstorm- mostly white she-cat with a coat that is stained with other colors in irregular patches

 

Cats Outside Clans

Rosie- A kittypet living in twolegplace, fluffy, light golden caramel colored she-cat with darker brown point markings

Henry- dark grey tom with golden eyes and broad shoulders

Mistletoe- mottled light brown tabby she-cat with spotted legs and strange silvery eyes

Strike- Silver, grey and black tabby tom with harsh green eyes

Adam- soft-furred light brown tom with a white underbelly and legs 

Red- very dark red she-cat with reddish brown eyes

Ghosty- cloudy grey and white she-cat with green eyes 

Avery- grey and golden tortoiseshell she-cat with white front paws and green eyes


	2. Prologue

The light of many thousands of stars twinkled above a group of eight cats that had gathered around a pool of water that seemed to reflect the light much more strongly than any sort of water had the right to. Sadly, it was not the Moonpool that these cats had heard stories of from the elders that they gathered around, but rather it was another place, far from the places the cats had once called home. It had no name, for they had given up naming their sacred places where they met with StarClan a long time ago. They'd never been able to stay in one place long enough to name those places. At the moment, the cats around the pool were waiting patiently for a few more of their number to arrive. That is, at least most of them were waiting patiently.

"Where are they? They should be here by now," growled scarred, brown tom whose claws clicked strangely against the stone ground.

"Be patient Kestrelswirl. There is still quite a lot of moonlight left. They will come," a much smaller she-cat with pure white fur lay splayed across the stones, as if she had very few cares in the world. Even her tone of voice sounded bored.

"But-" Kestrelswirl was cut off by a fiery red tail being laid across his muzzle.

"Silentstar is right. When ShadowClan's medicinecats arrive, then we can begin," the red cat murmured. Kestrelswirl grumbled at being silenced by Willowstem, his own apprentice, but he silenced anyway. Willowstem always seemed to know more than she let on, despite only being an apprentice. As the exchange went on, the other medicinecats merely watched in silent amusement.

Soon enough, there was a rustling sound coming from the bushes. A small cat scrambled through who looked no older than eight moons. She was white with black patches on her sides and was breathing heavily, spluttering out bits and pieces of words, as if she had something to get out that couldn't wait for her to be coherent.

Silentstar leapt to her paws, "Thistlepaw, calm down. What's wrong?" she brushed up against the small apprentice, who quieted down a bit at the contact and then shuddered at the twoleg scent that Silentstar carried.

"It's Moonscar! He fell asleep so suddenly on the way here, while we were in WindClan's territory. I didn't know what to do, so I went to find help, but I couldn't find their camp. By the time I got back, he was dead. The Dreameaters got him!" Thistlepaw finally managed, sobbing loudly by the time she was finished. The other medicinecats merely stared in surprise. Warriors and apprentices had been waking up from terrible nightmares with strange wounds courtesy of the shadowy beasts that seemed to stalk their dreams ever since they'd settled in this territory, but this was the first time a medicinecat had been attacked as well as the first time someone had died.

"Bouldertuft, did you see or smell anything odd when you and Windpaw came to the pool?" Silentstar said to the medicinecat who hailed from WindClan. He shook his head along with his apprentice, who had reached her adult size but still hadn't earned her name yet.

"I believe Moonscar and Thistlepaw came across our territory after we did, as we didn't scent any sign of them," Bouldertuft said with a grim tone. Thistlepaw's ears drooped as she listened to the others.

"What am I going to do?" she wailed. She hadn't been a medicine cat apprentice for very long, having first wanting to be a warrior. The discovery of a weakness in her bones had forced her away from the harsh lifestyle of a warrior and into the medicinecat den. Willowstem, always willing to help someone in need, leapt to her paws to go over to Thistlepaw. She laid her tail across Thistlepaw's back, hoping to add a comforting presence for the young apprentice.

"Everything is going to be fine," Willowstem said, keeping her voice low and calm. "When we dream soon, StarClan will help us find out what we need to do."

Thistlepaw nodded along with the scarlet she-cat's words. Willowstem often knew what to do in situations like these to calm someone down, and she had the added bonus of being one of Thistlepaw's closest friends.

"Where is his body? I'm sure Hailpaw and I can help to bring him back to ShadowClan," the ThunderClan medicinecat Eagleeyes piped up, his tortoiseshell tail curling around petite paws. He was unique in most of his appearance, as tortoiseshell toms were extremely rare.

"I managed to drag him with me. I couldn't just leave him behind, especially in another clan's territory. It's why I was so late," Thistlepaw said to the surprise of most of the other cats. With her weakness, it was a shock that she'd made it so far without hurting herself.

"I'll help too," Kestrelswirl grumbled, looking as if Willowstem had put him up to it.

"We all will," Silentstar added, sweeping her pale blue gaze across the rest of the medicinecats, who all readily agreed. There was a bit of slight grumbling from some of the apprentices, specifically Hailpaw and Windpaw, since ShadowClan's territory was the furthest from the pool where they met with StarClan, but Silentstar's gaze soon silenced them like her name suggested. It was very fitting for her, the name that StarClan had chosen.

"Thank you," Thistlepaw squeaked, standing up slightly taller. It was still quite obvious from her body language that she was grieving, but now she knew she had support when she hadn't been as sure before.

"We should go to dream now. It's not polite to keep StarClan waiting. Plus, they might give Thistlepaw some of the answers she needs for what she needs to do next," Eagleeyes said again, sounding like he almost didn't want to be heard. The others knew better, though, as that was merely how his voice sounded.

"Good idea Eagleeyes," Silentstar nodded. It was time to speak with StarClan. Each cat stepped forward to take a small sip of the shimmery water. It tasted sweet and clear, and almost immediately, an overwhelming sense of lethargy came over all of them. One by one, the medicinecats and their apprentices fell asleep.

Thistlepaw found herself in a grove of trees that seemed to have very little color. It was dark and cold, quite unlike the bright forests she'd seen last time she'd visited with the warrior ancestors. There were no stars or moon in the darkened sky. A prickle of fear came over Thistlepaw. This seemed like a dangerous place to be. Sometimes, she thought she saw a shadowy motion flicker across her vision, but when she tried to focus on them, they disappeared. Hearing the faint sound of someone's voice from behind her, she whipped around to get a view of the cat who shared this space with her.

"Moonscar!" Thistlepaw called out, recognizing the cat easily with his black and dark brown fur and distinctive scar that seemed to split his face into two separate halves. Loners who saw him tended to recoil at the disfigurement, but Thistlepaw had grown used to it. "Moonscar?" she said again, wondering why he wasn't responding. She realized that he was hunched over strangely, staring intently into a puddle as if he was looking at the most beautiful she-cat he'd ever seen in the reflection. His scar, which had healed over many moons ago, looked angry and red, as if it was liable to split back open and cascade scarlet blood over his face at a moment's notice. She padded over to Moonscar inhaling his scent. He even smelled strangely, some sort of cloying smell refusing to let go of his thick fur. Thistlepaw smelled another cat enter the grove.

"He's been like this since he got here," came the voice of Stonestar, the leader of ShadowClan before Featherstar. Though he had died long before Thistlepaw had been kitted, he had visited her in her last dream, asking for news of his former deputy.

"What do you mean?" she asked. After all, Moonscar hadn't been with StarClan for very long.

"Muttering hunched over that puddle like this. He hasn't moved since he arrived. How did he die?" Stonestar's eyes were alive with concern despite his otherwise calm demeanour. Moonscar had been medicinecat for most of Stonestar's reign, and they had known each other very well. The demeanour of the larger cat was in stark contrast to Thistlepaw, who was visibly trying and failing not to shake with her ears laid back and her fur on end. She was afraid for her mentor, who was normally a bright and active cat despite his older age. This was not normal behavior for him, even when he went into his more serious moods.

"The dreameaters got him. One minute he was awake and running circles around me like usual, the next he was asleep. I couldn't wake him up, and I didn't know what to do," Thistlepaw dipped her head. "I shouldn't have left him alone." she looked at Moonscar to see that he was staring right at her this time. He mumbled something that sounded like her name, and she moved forward to hear better.

"The names of the clans may die," he muttered intently to her. Thistlepaw shuddered when she heard his voice. It was so sad and full of emptiness. His eyes were the same when Thistlepaw forced herself to meet them, and she immediately looked away, wondering what he meant about the light of the clans. "Thistleshade!" Thistlepaw snapped back to him, realizing that it wasn't her name that had been called.

"Moonscar, I don't-" she stopped when he lurched forward, fear coloring the emptiness that seemed to be inside of him with a sickly yellow.

"Thistleshade, you must tell them!" he stepped more carefully, coming to just in front of the small apprentice. "The names of all six clans may die, drowned in the shadows of starving dreams," Moonscar once again came forward, causing a very alarmed Thistlepaw to scramble backwards in fright. She was afraid of this new version of Moonscar, the scar that cut his face in half seeming menacing rather than comforting. Seeing that scar used to mean she was safe and warm in the medicine den, as strange as that sentiment may have seemed, but now she didn't know what to think anymore. Moonscar quieted down again after Thistlepaw backed away, once again making friends with his puddle. It seemed that the fallen cat had nothing more to say to Thistlepaw.

"What was that? Who's Thistleshade?" she finally asked Stonestar. The former leader mulled it over in his head for a little bit before answering.

"I don't know anyone with the name Thistleshade. I believe he was referring to you," Stonestar meowed after some thought.

"But my name ends with paw. I'm still an appre… oh… I see… I'm the ShadowClan medicinecat, aren't I?" Thistlepaw said after she realized what Moonscar dying really meant.

"He was your mentor after all. The medicinecat apprenticeship doesn't exactly work the same way as a warrior apprenticeship," Stonestar confirmed Thistlepaw's thoughts. "This is not a responsibility that someone as young as you should have to take on, but there doesn't seem to be very much choice, especially with Moonscar passing down a prophecy to you specifically."

"What if I can't do this? I don't know very much yet. What if I let my clan down?" Thistlepaw was even more scared than before. With all of her tumultuous emotions, the prophecy slipped her mind. She wasn't ready to be a medicinecat.

"Thistleshade," Stonestar used the name that Moonscar had given her in a strong commanding voice. It was jarring to hear, but she knew she had to accept what had come her way. There was no use in denying it. "Nothing you have done gives me any reason to doubt that you will do everything in your power to make what you can out of what you have been given. I never knew you while I was alive, but I would've been honored to have a medicinecat with the same strength and acceptance. With the power vested in me by StarClan, I name you by the shadows that you must overcome to make your mark in this forest and the shadows that you carry on your own pel." The much larger cat looked down at Thistleshade with compassion in his eyes. She nodded, looking back up to meet his gaze.

"I will not disappoint you," Thistleshade said, determined to make herself useful to her clan in any way she could. She padded up to touch her nose to Stonestar's, meeting his green eyes with her own amber ones. The ceremony had not been grand, but that did not make her any less important as a cat. In fact, with her new position, she may have been one of the most important of the cats, keeping alive the warriors when they were wounded or the elders and kits when sickness struck in the thick of leaf-bare.

"Go now. You must awaken. I will watch over Moonscar with my clanmates," Stonestar said, looking with concern at the former medicinecat. Thistleshade didn't have time to respond to him before she found herself back in the world of the living. The small cat stood up on wobbly legs and looked at the other awakening cats. She didn't know what they had dreamed about, but her own was still fresh in her mind, the prophecy finally coming back to her after the fear had clouded it. The names of all six clans may die, drowned in the shadows of starving dreams. She had no clue what it meant, but she knew she had to tell the others at some point. It affected all of the clans, not just hers. However, that night might not have been the best time with everything that was happening. She figured she would reveal it during the next Gathering if Featherstar decided for her to go.

"Thistlepaw! Are you feeling alright?" Willowstem came bounding over with Kestrelswirl lagging behind.

"Thistleshade," the young medicinecat corrected. The first step would be to tell the others that she had been named "My name is Thistleshade now, my name given to me by my mentor in StarClan," she raised her voice for that.

"But you're so young! This is unprecedented!" Kestrelswirl protested. He wasn't exactly wrong either, will Thistleshade only being eight moons old.

"So, I see you're planning on going against a decision made by StarClan?" Silentstar loomed behind him, having moved as quietly as her name. The tom's fur bristled as her silky voice reached his ears.

"Well… but…" he stuttered at her sudden appearance, only to be silenced by her pale gaze.

"As I thought. What our first priority must now be is how we are going to finish Thistleshade's training," Silentstar emphasized Thistleshade's name to Kestrelswirl.

"Who died and put you in charge?" he grumbled, earning glares from Thistleshade and Silentstar.

"If I remember correctly, Moonscar did," Thistleshade growled. Moonscar had been the eldest of the cats who met at the half moon gathering of medicinecats. With his death, Silentstar now had that position.

"I have an idea. What if the medicinecats who have apprentices take turns going to ShadowClan to help Thistleshade? That way, if something terrible happens and Thistleshade still doesn't have enough training, there will still be someone who can do something," Eagleeyes said, his soft voice almost lost in the emerging glaring contest between Silentstar, Thistleshade and Kestrelswirl.

"That sounds like a great idea," Willowstem added her voice to cut through the tension as well. "I'm sure Hailpaw, Windpaw and I have plenty of skill to handle ourselves for a little while at a time." The other two apprentices turned to Willowstem with strange looks on their faces. "Don't even start you two."

"This sounds like a doable idea. Eagleeyes, since you suggested the idea, do you mind going first? You have a very amicable presence," Silentstar began to flesh the plan out a bit.

"Of course, Silentstar. It would be nice to learn about another clan as well," Eagleeyes agreed with gusto.

"The you will be followed by Kestrelswirl and then Bouldertuft. You all can switch every half moon, so that not too much pressure is put on the other apprentices," Silentstar finished. "Are we all set?"

"Almost!" Hailpaw called out, giggling in the corner with Windpaw, his light grey fur shining in the moonlight. "What do we do with the lazy lump?" he pointed his tail at Blackscar, the still sleeping RiverClan medicinecat.

"Well, even I know not to wake him up. That could be dangerous. Someone should wait with him until he wakes up so he doesn't get confused," Thistleshade said, already trying to take some kind of charge.

"I'll stay. I'm not very strong anyway, so I won't be much help bringing Moonscar home," Eagleeyes volunteered, always wanting to help with something or other.

"Alright then. We should leave now. The sun will rise soon," Silentstar said. Thistleshade looked at Blackscar with worry after what had happened to Moonscar. Not only were the dreameaters a threat, but it was bad luck for a medicinecat to sleep past dawn on the half moon. As murmurs of agreement with Silentstar rang out across the pool, and most of the medicinecats slowly filtered out through the bushes. They were ready to bring Moonscar home.


	3. Chapter One

Wolfkit was busy playing with her brothers early in the morning when she saw a huge group of cats she didn’t recognize come into the ShadowClan camp. However, before she could get a good look, Cedarkit had bowled her over, and she was upside down. 

“Got you!” he shouted triumphantly, while their other brother, Breezekit, was trying to catch up. His grey fur was covered in dirt, and it was almost impossible to see the silver stripe that went down his back all the way to the tip of his tail. Cedarkit was at least somewhat cleaner. 

“That’s only because I was distracted you mouse brain. Look over there,” Wolfkit wiggled out from underneath Cedarkit, cleaning dirt off of her own tabby fur. All three of the kits’ amber eyes twinkled as they looked across the camp to the strange cats. 

“Who are those?” Breezekit asked in his raspy voice, a product of getting his throat crushed in a battle with RiverClan several moons before. Moonscar had said that he might never get his proper voice back. 

“I’ll bet they’re from another clan, like ThunderClan. We should attack them!” Cedarkit tried to get on top of Breezekit to get a better view, though Breezekit didn’t seem to mind very much. Suddenly, one black and white cat that the kits did recognize darted out to go to Featherstar’s den. 

“If Thistlepaw is with them, then they’re probably friendly,” Wolfkit decided to get closer to them to see if she could talk to them. She left her brothers behind to go over a bit. As she walked, she saw that most of them were more grown than Thistlepaw, and they all had different smells, as if they were from different clans. So much for them being ThunderClan, like Cedarkit had thought.

“Well, hello little kit,” said one of the smaller ones, a pure white she-cat with pale blue eyes. Her voice sounded both scary and kind at the same time, emitting both cold and warmth, so Wolfkit really didn’t know what to think of her. She definitely wasn’t a normal cat, and that made Wolfkit nervous. 

“Hi!” Wolfkit squeaked out. She was usually a very brave kit, but there was something so creepy about the white she-cat that left Wolfkit feeling funny inside. 

“Now, now Silentstar. Don’t go around scaring the kits out of their mind,” a larger grey tom said. Wolfkit backed up a bit in surprise. She knew that Silentstar was the leader of BloodClan, the Clan of vicious cats that lived in twolegplace. Some cats claimed that they sharpened their claws on the bones of kittypets, but the elders and older warriors who travelled with the clans during the great journey claimed that those were only stories. If the leader of BloodClan was there, then were the rest of the cats from BloodClan? One of them was certainly scarred enough for it. Maybe coming over had been a bad idea. Wolfkit’s fur bristled a bit, but she knew she wasn’t gonna be a scaredy cat, so she held her ground.

“She’s not scaring me!” Wolfkit tried to stand up a bit taller, but being much smaller than them all, that was not an easy thing to achieve. Before the other cats could reply, one of the apprentices, Ivypaw, came to stand beside Wolfkit. 

“Lakeears sent me to get you,” he said quietly and with a low tone. His yellow eyes contrasted sharply with his dark grey fur, slashed at the shoulders and sides with black stripes. 

“But I’m talking to BloodClan,” Wolfkit protested, squeaking when the much larger apprentice grabbed her by her scruff. He wasn’t quite big enough to pick her up, since she was almost apprentice age herself, but he was able to unceremoniously drag her off. “Hey, lemme go!” Ivy paw declined to answer her with his mouth full of her fur and all. Sadly, Ivypaw was one of the oldest apprentices, so Wolfkit wasn’t strong enough to escape his grasp. 

“There you are,” Lakeears scolded once Ivyaw was done dragging Wolfkit back to the nursery. The other two kits old enough to walk could be seen poking their heads through the holes in the side of the nursery to find out what was going on. Wolfkit could see that she had been the only one brave enough to greet the strange cats. 

“Why’d you have to bring me back?” Wolfkit complained as soon as Ivypaw let go of her. 

“Because I don’t want you bothering the medicinecats or Silentstar,” Lakeears muttered. “Thank you Ivypaw.”

The dark apprentice merely grunted in reply, since he wasn’t the most talkative of cats. He turned away to go back to his apprentice duties, whatever those might have been. 

“Yea, that’s right! Run away from my might dung brain!” Wolfkit growled at Ivypaw, much to the chagrin of her mother. 

“Don’t you dare use that kind of language with your clanmates. Into the nursery with you, and don’t come out until I say so!” Lakeears scuffed Wolfkit over the ears to accentuate her point. 

“Ow, ow, ok!” Wolfkit darted into the Nursery to escape the wrath of her mother. She really was full of bad ideas that day. As she blundered into the nursery, Twistedkit and Stumpykit hid from her noise. The two light brown toms were Toadshade’s kits, Toadshade generally being a good cat to avoid. She was resentful about being stuck in the Nursery with kits, which led to both of their rather unpleasant names. In the corner, both too young to play, were Brookkit and Squirrelkit, a brown tinted black tom and a silvery grey she-cat with black paws, with their mothers. 

“Twistedkit, Stumpykit it’s just me,” Wolfkit grumbled, mad about being stuck in the nursery. It wasn’t fair that her brothers would get to stay out and play and maybe even talk to the medicinecats without her. 

“Did you really just call Ivypaw a dungbrain?” Twistedkit popped out from behind his brother, who was hiding behind Ebonyfur and Pinepuddle, the mothers of the youngest two. 

“Please don’t repeat that sort of language, even if you are just repeating. You don't want to be punished like Wolfkit, do you?” Ebonyfur said in Toadshade’s absence. The patchy brown she-cat was often absent, preferring to be out with the warriors rather than in the nursery, leaving the other mothers to deal with her kits. 

“Sorry,” Twistedkit sank back behind his brother. Wolfkit rolled her eyes at the younger kit. He often didn’t think about what he was saying, as opposed to Stumpykit, who never really spoke at all. Then again, it seemed that Wolfkit hadn’t really thought about what she was saying to Ivypaw either. He had still deserved it for being such a meanie. He’d just come up and dragged her away without even asking nicely. Wolfkit went over to lay down at the edge of the nursery, watching Twistedkit and Stumpykit go back to tussling with each other. As usual, Twistedkit won by sitting on his brother. Stumpykit was a lot smaller, so he couldn’t get Twistedkit off very easily. Hearing Featherstar’s voice filter in from outside, Wolfkit turned away from the two brothers. 

“All cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather beneath the Rocktower for an announcement,’ the leader called out. Her voice rang across the camp, and the warriors and apprentices began coming out to find out what was happening. Even Stumpykit and Twistedkit left to go see, despite being you young to catch their own prey. Still in her punishment, Wolfkit had to settle for peeking outside of the unfinished walls of the nursery, since Ebonyfur was laying in the entrance to the nursery so she could listen without leaving the kits alone. 

Featherstar was standing alongside Thistlepaw on top of the Rocktower, a huge tower of rocks that had been piled in the center of camp to give the leader a vantage point for announcements and ceremonies. All of the dens surrounded it, giving Wolfkit a very obscured view of the warrior and elder dens. Up on top of the tower Thistlepaw looked very upset next to Featherstar. The medicinecats Wolfkit had sen before were gathered around the base, talking amongst themselves. The only one who stood apart was Silentstar for some reason. 

“Today, a sad event has come over our clan,” Featherstar began to speak. “Our long time medicinecat, Moonscar, has passed on to StarClan, his life taken by the dreameaters. There is no doubt in my mind that he will be taken in with open hearts by the cats of StarClan, especially our old leader and his good friend, Stonestar,” there was a collective gasp around the camp at the announcement, and Wolfkit’s own fur had begun to bristle again. Moonscar had been such an amazing medicinecat. No one had expected him to die, since it seemed like he’d been around for forever, although he had been getting kind of old. Apparently, there was a lot of surprise over him waiting so long to take on an apprentice. 

Even stranger was the fact that it had been the dreameaters. This was the first time they had ever killed anybody according to some of the warriors who regularly attended gatherings. Wolfkit had never been visited, but she knew that Halfpaw and Buzzardpaw had both had dreams plagued by the shadowy creatures. The apprentices had recounted the tales of those dreams to all of the kits. Wolfkit herself had had nightmares after listening to them talk about what had happened. As brave as she was when it came to other cats, Wolfkit was actually very afraid of the strange and unknown, like the dreameaters, or the Dark Forest warriors that often showed up in the stories that were told of some of the great leaders of old. 

“Because of Moonscar’s passing, his apprentice has been given her medicinecat name. The Clan welcomes you as our medicinecat Thistleshade,” Featherstar continued once the reactions had died down. Wolfkit’s eyes widened. Thistleshade was so young. In fact, Wolfkit could remember them playing together from time to time in the nursery just two moons ago. Even as the Clan cried out her name, Thistleshade seemed to seethe with so many emotions. She looked lost and confused, but also like she wasn’t telling the Clan everything. Wolfkit’s heart hurt for the young medicinecat. 

“Thank you my Clan,” Thistleshade said when there were only a few voices left. Her voice wavered, but it did not break. 

“Because Thistleshade’s mentor died before her training ended, Eagleeyes, Kestrelswirl and Bouldertuft had generously agreed to spend time with ShadowClan, taking turns to help her,” Featherstar motioned for the three cats to come forward, each shadowed by an apprentice. Wolfkit saw a petit tortoiseshell, a rather imposing looking pale silver tom and the heavily scarred tabby from earlier. The last one didn’t really look much like a medicinecat, with his aggressive stance and unsheathed claws.

“I’ll be staying first, so I hope you all don’t mind. I’ve already told Rabbitstar that I’m going to be here until the Gathering, so you won't be hearing much from him,” the tortoiseshell said with a very forced cheerfulness. Wolfkit’s eyes widened. The day was full of surprises, as the voice that came from the tortoiseshell cat was decidedly male. She’d never seen a tortoiseshell tom before. 

“Thank you Eagleeyes. The rest of you may return to your Clans,” Featherstar said with a bit of an extra glance at Silentstar. Even though the BloodClan leader had acted amiably earlier, relations between Clans were still very tense at the time. “ShadowClan is dismissed.” the grey tabby she-cat leapt down from the Rocktower to see off the medicinecats. Wolfkit moved away from the holes in the wall , since the meeting was over. She was curious about Eagleeyes, but she wouldn’t be able to get out of the nursery with Ebonyfur watching the inhabitants’ every move. Or not. As she looked over, Wolfkit saw that she had fallen asleep. Maybe leaving the nursery would be easier than she’d thought. The kit quickly leapt out of the Nursery, keeping an eye out for Lakeears just in case. 

Eagleeyes and Thistleshade had begun talking in front of the medicine den, and it looked like Lakeears was talking to Halfpaw and his mentor Stoneslip, a golden tabby with fluffy white fur on his chest and belly. Lakeears had been getting very cozy with Stoneslip, even though they both already had mates. Wolfkit knew that her attention would be taken up for quite awhile. As active a mother as she was, with Wolfkit and her siblings almost ready to leave the Nursery, it seemed that the world didn’t exist for her when she spoke to Stoneslip. Turning away with a look of slight annoyance at her mother, Wolfkit went the rest of the way to the medicine den. 

“Since I’m not exactly sure what Moonscar taught you before he died, I’m planning a bit of a review of what you already know once you show me the territory,” Eagleeyes was saying as Thistleshade nodded along. It was a testament to Featherstar’s confidence that the leader was willing to let members of other clans learn so much about the inner workings of ShadowClan, even if the medicinecats lived outside of the warrior code. 

“Hello there. Is everything alright?” Thistleshade said upon seeing Wolfkit. She sounded tired, as if she was going to drop to the ground at any moment. 

“Yes, I’m ok. I just wanted to come welcome Eagleeyes to the Clan!” Wolfkit’s amber eyes were alive with curiosity as she looked at the tortoiseshell’s pelt. She wondered why no one else had already come wondering. Or maybe they had, and she just missed them. She hadn’t actually seen where her brothers and Toadshade’s kits had gone. 

“You’re wondering how I’m a tortie, aren’t you?” Eagleeyes said, noticing Wolfkit’s inquisitive gaze. 

“How do you know that?” her eyes widened. Did he somehow have special powers like the cats from the stories of the prophecy of three?

 

“Everyone wonders about my pelt little kit. Male tortoiseshell’s are very rare, but we do exist. It’s very surprising, I know,” Eagleeyes’ voice contained quite a lot more mirth than many would expect. He was a good natured cat with a great sense of humor indeed. Despite being in unfamiliar territory, he already seemed at ease with a relaxed posture and his ears and tail pricked up, as if he’d been living in ShadowClan all his life. 

“How about you go back to the Nursery, Wolfkit. I have to show Eagleeyes the territory so he doesn’t get lost looking for herbs like the mousebrain he is,” Thistleshade said, earning a mock shocked glance from Eagleeyes. She nudged Wolfkit away, who reluctantly left with a farewell to both medicinecats. However, instead of listening to them and going to the Nursery, she made a beeline for the elders’ den. Listening to Eagleeyes and seeing his strange pelt had put her in the mood for stories and legends of ancient times, and since she was already outside of the Nursery, a bit more time couldn’t hurt.. 

“Are you planning on being a medicinecat? I don’t think that den is big enough to fit three plus the patients,” one of the elders, Mossyleaf, joked. Her tortoiseshell pelt and green eyes made Wolfkit’s thoughts drift briefly back to Eagleeyes before snapping back to the present. 

“No that’s not it. I just wanted to say hi to Eagleeyes. He’s not from our Clan after all, so I thought it would be good to make him feel welcome,” Wolfkit padded over to Mossyleaf, thinking the elder might be more willing to share stories if she went over her fur for ticks and fleas. 

“Trying to get on my good side, I see,” Mossyleaf said as Wolfkit began looking. 

“I’ll bet she’s here for more stories, am I right?” one of the other denizens of the elders’ den, Hawkstreak said. He was brown with light flecks and a light underbelly, reminding Wolfkit somewhat of a fawn. 

“Yes please!” Wolfkit said. 

“Alright, alright. Just be quiet. Cherrywish and Slateshade are sleeping,” Hawkstreak motioned with his tail to the last two elders. They had been mates as warriors and still spent every waking moment together. Cherrywish’s reddish and cream pelt contrasted sharply with Slateshade’s more blueish coloration. 

“Thank you,” Wolfkit was more quiet this time. As she went through Mossyleaf’s thinning fur with her paws, her mother caught her eyes from across camp again. The she-cat was still talking to Stoneslip, without Halfpaw by that point. Witheredstorm, Wolfkit’s father, would be furious if he found out what his mate was trying, but that didn’t concern Wolfkit at the moment. She busied herself with Mossyleaf’s fur as Hawkstreak’s calm voice began to wash over her with words of times long ago, from a completely different forest.


	4. Chapter 2

"So a dungbrain, eh?"

Ivypaw heard the mocking tone of his brother Buzzardpaw's voice as he made his way from the clearing to the apprentices' den. The dark grey cat, however, was not in the mood for any of Buzzardpaw's 'caring words' or so the lighter grey tom called them.

"Don't even start," Ivypaw growled sharply and shortly, hoping that Buzzardpaw would mistake the pleading in the statement for decisiveness.

"Well then dark and gloomy, don't be too happy," Buzzardpaw's amber eyes twinkled with amusement at the prospect of a new joke. Unlike Ivypaw, Buzzardpaw had no stripes, keeping the two brothers from being completely identical.

Ivypaw glared at his brother for a second before realizing that other than the two of them, the den was empty. Ivypaw had expected to see at least Beaverpaw and Halfpaw as well before he remembered that Halfpaw was with Stoneslip at the moment, and Beaverpaw was probably doing StarClan knows what. Ivypaw thought that he might be able to clear out the den even more. Soon enough, after Ivypaw had ignored Buzzardpaw's nagging for long enough, the other apprentice left the den. Of course, Ivypaw would have much rather been out in the forest hunting by himself, but the now empty apprentices' den was the next best thing, considering he'd have to go through the still crowded camp to get to the forest. The camp was still full of everyone, even after the announcement was over. Ivypaw really didn't want to go back out until it had cleared up a bit.

Ivypaw began to get comfortable in his nest, hoping the other apprentices wouldn't come in and bother him. They were loud and annoying, and it frustrated Ivypaw at times. Only his one friend, Littlepaw really knew how to act to make Ivypaw comfortable. Well, Littlepaw and Thistleshade that it, but Thistleshade was the medicinecat now and didn't count as an apprentice.

"Ivypaw!" The voice of Ivypaw's mentor, came into the den from out in the clearing. Ivypaw groaned in reaction. He really didn't want to get up from his comfy spot, and even thinking about going back out made his coat and paws feel heavy. Sadly, he had to listen to his mentor's call, which meant leaving the relative safety of the den. He walked over to the exit to the den and carefully poked his head out of the den, just far enough to see, so he would be able to seek out his pale ginger mentor. Soon, he spotted her standing underneath the Rocktower, searching the camp for him with her dull green eyes. At least it wasn't nearly as crowded as it had been when Featherstar was announcing Moonscar's death. The elders had left to go bury Moonscar, and the cats chosen for the sunhigh patrol were probably getting in some rest. Ivypaw tried not to think of how uncomfortable he'd been at the Clan meeting. He'd just sat by himself at the edge of the crowd, hoping it would help with the itchy, crawling feeling the squirmed through his pelt and into his body. Ivypaw shook his head. He needed to be focused rather than remembering what had happened just a little while ago.

With a burst of speed, Ivypaw darted across the hardened ground of the ShadowClan camp, slipping and sliding his way across an unexpected sandy patch. His muzzle burned fiercely underneath his dark fur, made worse by the bright sunlight beating down on him. He was sure someone had seen him slip. Quickly coming next to a stop next to Softspeck, he looked about to make sure he at least wasn't being stared at.

"Ivypaw, calm down," Softspeck said, brushing her tail against Ivypaw's shoulder, which ended up being an extremely unhelpful action that only really made Ivypaw jump away from her on reflex. Used to this kind of behavior from her apprentice, Softspeck didn't say a word about it. She'd given up trying to get him to stop a long time ago.

Ivypaw took a second to brush down his chest fur before speaking. "So… what did you need me for?"

"We're going hunting with Littlepaw and Lizardstep," Softspeck said, referring to Ivypaw's golden tabby friend and his lighter brown tabby mentor. Ivypaw released a breath that he hadn't really known he'd been holding as his heart leapt a bit. Littlepaw was the best, and his mentor wasn't so bad herself, being a generally quiet cat. Plus, it would be a hunting patrol, so they would be able to split up the group at some point anyway. It would be much easier than a border patrol.

"When?" he asked.

"Right now, mousebrain," Softspeck rolled her eyes. Ivypaw felt his muzzle once again get warm with embarrassment. He should've been able to guess that. Soon enough, he could see Littlepaw and Lizardstep padding over. Littlepaw raised his tail towards Ivypaw, who repeated the action as a greeting. It was wordless but effective, as two friends acknowledged each other in a way they could see rather than a way they could hear.

"Are we off now?" Lizardstep asked, taking a moment to flick some moss off of her tail.

"Yes, we are," Softspeck's shrill voice stood out when compared to Lizardstep's much smoother voice. Having formerly been a loner, Lizardstep spoke with a strange lilt to her speech, being born far away from where the Clans originally made their homes. If it weren't for the fact that she and Littlepaw worked so well together, Ivypaw would've wished he'd gotten her as a mentor. Softspeck was nice, but she didn't know the meaning of peace and quiet.

Lizardstep nodded, turning towards the camp exit with Softspeck on her tail. Littlepaw, however, stayed back slightly with Ivypaw.

"Think we'll catch anything good?" the younger apprentice deliberately kept his naturally high voice a bit softer than he usually spoke for Ivypaw. Up close, Ivypaw could see his markings very well, with a slightly reddish tint to his tabby stripes that ended at his darker brown tail tip and paws. He was all warm colors, and the sight of him was somehow calming to Ivypaw.

"Some birds would be nice I guess," Ivypaw shrugged. He actually really liked the flavor of birds, though sometimes he just liked to watch them fly.

"I know. I'm kinda sick of lizards and frogs. They're tasty and all, but lizards are really tough in my opinion, and it's impossible to get frog slime out of my fur. It's almost as bad as mouse bile," Littlepaw had no qualms being the driving force of the conversation, leaving some breaks in his speech just in case Ivypaw wanted to say something but not outright expecting a reply. Ivypaw knew that if he really wanted Littlepaw to stop, the other cat would oblige, but Ivypaw was content with only knowing that he could and not actually doing it. Ivypaw had control over this situation in a way that he didn't with other cats, and that fact was comforting all by itself.

"Come on. We should get out of camp. I'm sure our mentors are far enough away," Littlepaw, amusement about how far behind they were twinkling in his green eyes. The two hadn't even left camp yet, and their mentors were running circles around them. Ivypaw merely nodded in response. He didn't often need words with Littlepaw to communicate. The golden tabby just understood what Ivypaw was trying to get across. The two of them walked to the exit, in no rush to catch up with their mentors. By the time they reached the exit, Softspeck and Lizardstep were already outside of camp. They left through the exit one by one and spotted their mentors waiting for them. While Softspeck looked like she had half a mind to lecture the two apprentices, Lizardstep huffed in amusement. The brown tabby's eyes twinkled, as if she knew something that no one else did.

The small group made their way through the forest that made up ShadowClan territory, each stopping to taste the air from time to time. Finally, they were far enough from camp for prey to roam, the presence of many cats scaring away most of the prey close by. Lizardstep almost immediately went into a hunter's crouch, having located what smelled like a frog. The crouch hid her white belly fur, making it easier for her otherwise brown tabby pelt to blend in with the ground, something that was needed with the lack of undergrowth in the forests around ShadowClan camp.

Ivypaw brushed his tail across Littlepaw's shoulder and motioned with his head in a direction further out in the forest once Littlepaw looked over. Littlepaw nodded, and the two cats padded off, trying to keep their paws from squelching in the muddy ground. Though it hadn't rained in quite awhile, the ShadowClan camp was close to the RiverClan border and thus the swamp that made up part of RiverClan's hunting grounds. Mud stuck in between Ivypaw's toes and coated his pawpads. It was uncomfortable, making him glad that he and his friend didn't live in RiverClan. As they walked, though, the ground became dryer and dryer as they got closer to the ThunderClan border. Rather than mixing up with mud and goop, pine needles crunched underneath Ivypaw's paws as he walked over the now much more stable ground. The trees were widely spaced and let quite a lot of light down to the ground, contrary to ShadowClan's name.

Suddenly, some kind of flying object struck Ivypaw's side. He jumped a bit, looking over to see a pinecone at his feet and Littlepaw with a smug expression.

"Don't think you'll be getting away with that," Ivypaw flicked the pinecone back at Littlepaw who ducked just in time to avoid being hit.

"Ha! You mis-" Littlepaw was cut off as he was smothered by Ivypaw's slightly greater mass, having been distracted by the return of the pine cone. He squirmed to get out from underneath, but Ivypaw was too heavy. However, a swift kick to Ivypaw's belly remedied that. Soon enough, the two apprentices were having a full on wrestling match. Despite his usual insecurities, Ivypaw thouroughly enjoyed himself. He so rarely got to be alone with Littlepaw and didn't feel comfortable showing this side of himself around anyone else. Littlepaw was the only one who truly understood Ivypaw, knowing just how to act to make the older apprentice a bit more comfortable in any situation. In the woods alone with just his friend, Ivypaw could be normal for once. Ivypaw could only hope that he would someday be able to return the favor.

After a little while, the two cats broke apart, and both lay sprawled across the ground, panting heavily. The chilly air kept the both of them from overheating, though a cat from another Clan would never know it was leaf-fall just from looking at the ShadowClan forest. The tall evergreens kept their needles all year round.

"We should probably hunt," Ivypaw wheezed, still trying to catch his breath. He rolled over into a sitting position.

"Good luck with that. All our noise probably scared off all the prey from here to SkyClan," Littlepaw pushed himself up. With Ivypaw still crouched down, it was easy to see that Littlepaw's size did not match his name. Even though he was two moons younger, Littlepaw was almost the same size as Ivypaw, and Littlepaw could already cut a rather imposing figure.

"We did?" Ivypaw's mood dropped, and he missed the joking tone in favor of the words being said. Of course he'd screw something up.

"Hey, I'm the one who started it. If anything, it's my fault. Since here isn't any good right now, how about we try by the border. I'm sure ThunderClan won't be too mad if we get close, since we're only apprentices and all," Littlepaw suggested, defusing Ivypaw's worries. He was referring to a few incidents where border patrols were warned off by ThunderClan patrols, even though the ShadowClan patrols had never crossed the border. ThunderClan was either becoming paranoid, mousebrained or both.

"Alright then," Ivypaw nodded, starting to walk in the direction of ThunderClan. Within minutes, they'd both reached the border. It was easy to tell where the border was, not only from the thick foresty scent that blew across and seemed to latch onto Ivypaw's nose, but also by the way the evergreen trees gave way to brightly colored trees that were beginning to lose their leaves. Some cats liked it, but Ivypaw preferred the more static dark green of the trees that grew in ShadowClan territory.

Littlepaw began to sniff around, "I think I smell blackbird, but it's hard to tell with all this ThunderClan scent wafting over. I'll go up the trees while you stay near the ground?"

"Sure. There's probably a mouse or something around the roots," Ivypaw said, wondering about the odd abundance of scent. The RiverClan border was never this bad. Was ThunderClan spending every waking moment marking their borders? What was Rabbitstar thinking? And if so, where were the patrols now?

Ivypaw shook his head, imagining the thoughts leaking out of his ears. It wouldn't do him any good to get distracted by something that probably didn't even matter. He turned his attention back to his hunting. As much as he liked lizard and frog, it would be nice to eat something with fur or feathers for a change. Opening his mouth to scent the air, Ivypaw somehow managed to pick up the scent of vole over the thick ThunderClan aroma. It wasn't quite mouse like he'd said, but it was close enough. Ivypaw dropped down into a hunter's crouch, letting his belly fur brush the pine needles below. He knew his stripes would help to break up his figure, making him harder for prey to see, unless of course they prey looked right at his face and saw his bright yellow eyes. As he stalked, Ivypaw was careful not to let his paws drag across the needles, lest he make a noise and alert the vole. The small, mouselike rodent could be seen trying to fish seeds out of a pinecone. Just as Ivypaw was close enough to leap, a strange feeling overcame him. It was almost overwhelming, and he ended up half listening to it and half trying to continue hunting, resulting in him tumbling over his own paws and somehow landing on top of the vole. Sure that even StarClan was laughing at him for that, he looked up at the sky just in time to see what looked like a blood red star streak across the sky. It disappeared just as quickly as it had materialized, looking as if it had been falling from the sky across ThunderClan's territory. It was chilling, as if a bleeding StarClan cat had fallen from their place in Silverpelt.

"Did you see that?" Ivypaw asked as Littlepaw dropped down from the tree, having managed to catch his own prey.

"See what?" Littlepaw mumbled through a mouth full of blackbird.

"A star fell out of the sky… it was red… like blood," Ivypaw explained, sounding dazed and entranced, which he was. Littlepaw took a second to put down his blackbird with a bit of an incredulous look about him.

"Ivypaw, are you ok?" Littlepaw asked, concern touching his voice and the words snapping Ivypaw back to reality. "I go up to hunt and then come back down to see you in a daze mumbling something about stars falling from the sky. Forgive me for saying this, I normally wouldn't, but do you have bees in your brain?" Littlepaw was very confused. Neither of the cats had ever heard of a star falling from the sky.

"Yea, you're probably right," Ivypaw said, trying not to let that get the best of him. "I'm probably just tired, but I'll go see Moonsc- I mean Thistleshade when we get back to camp just in case." Even though he said those words, he knew what he saw was real. There was just something about it that told him so.

"Can't have ShadowClan's best apprentice falling ill after all," Littlepaw stood rather close to Ivypaw but didn't quite touch his friend. He knew that physical contact with other cats often made the cat uncomfortable if Ivypaw wasn't the one to initiate.

"Yea, I am aren't I?" Ivypaw briefly touched his nose to Littlepaw's before stretching out his limbs.

"So, did you catch anything?" Littlepaw asked.

"Well, kinda," Ivypaw moved off of the vole. "I kind of sat on it."

"What?"

"Exactly my thoughts," Ivypaw said before picking it up and bounding off to bring it back to camp.

"You are one strange cat," Littlepaw murmured, to quiet for Ivypaw to hear. Then, he followed his friend back into the depths of the seemingly endless forest of evergreens.


End file.
